Waka Flocka Flame’s Evolution From Trap God to Sweet Daddy

When rapper Waka Flocka Flame became one of Atlanta’s ambassadors of the trap world in 2009, songs and videos like “Hard in Da Paint” didn’t exactly make him appear to be the kind of guy you’d want to ever cross. Born Juaquin Malphurs, the moniker Waka Flocka Flame was given to him as a reflection of his magnetism and his ability to make people flock to him.

Eight years later, Waka Flocka Flame has provided true balance to his early aggressive imagery and revealed himself to be a family-minded man who admits he still needs some work. He’s also enjoyed an internationally successful career by being open to electronic music and culture—and to people from all walks of life. As he’s experienced new things, he’s vastly expanded his world outlook.

“The worst mistake I made was not doing EDM two or three years ago,” he told Miami New Times in 2014, when he released songs with the likes of Steve Aoki (with whom he’s toured) and Flosstradamus (he recently collaborated again with the duo and Mayhem) and began what is still a continuing era of openness towards the scene by signing EDM acts and collaborating with DJs and producers. He said in the same interview that electronic music goes hand in hand with hip-hop and that he felt comfortable making all kinds of songs. He also enjoyed getting a taste of caking.

“Throws cakes in people’s faces. That shit is amazing,” he said of his admiration for Aoki. “When I first hit a fan with a cake, it felt like I lost my virginity.”

Surprisingly, it’s VH1’s seriously scripted reality show Love and Hip Hop Atlanta that has offered real glimpses into Waka’s in-progress maturation into a dedicated family man. The show has depicted the ups and downs of separating from his wife Tammy Rivera, as well as given some insight into their sadness after his younger brother Kayo Redd committed suicide four years ago. The tragedy has been especially rough on his mother, Debra Antney (who has guided her son’s music career and was an early manager for stars like Nicki Minaj and Gucci Mane), and the show offered a peek into her enduring bond with Waka and her love for her daughter-in-law as they continue to try and pick up the pieces and keep Kayo’s memory alive.

The current season has featured scenes of his employing his young stepdaughter Charlie to help him get Tammy back. His love for both of them seems clear (he still takes Charlie out on adorable father-daughter dates, like roller-skating sessions, as seen on TV). He’s admitted to his past mistakes and seems ready to put his family back together, which seems to be on the way.

No matter how his personal life is settling down, though, you can count on his turning up the voltage onstage during weekend two of Electric Forest. He’s an electrifying man with seemingly boundless energy to vibe with people. Many rappers were just meant to be studio gangsters, but Waka Flocka Flame earns his name by being a fiery artist who was born to perform live.

You can catch Waka Flocka Flame doing his thing during weekend two of Electric Forest.